Transcendent
by chaotic.souljam
Summary: A series of LokeLucy oneshots.    "Because forever is meaningless without her."
1. Deliverance

A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail. By Jazzele's request, I'm planning to make this a series of LokeLucy oneshots. So, I'm accepting prompts or any ideas that you readers might have. ^_^

**Deliverance**

When he first met Lucy, his first thought was "She's cute," followed instantly by "I'm gonna make her mine." So he had wasted no time in approaching her in the same manner he accosted all the other women he dated—flirtatiously and with confidence in his own charm. He should have known better than to lump her in with those girls; she was obviously not the type to be easily swept off her feet by a simple wink and a well-timed smile.

Loke had felt a thrill at this discovery; he loved a challenge. It would make it twice as sweet when he managed to get through to her. He had smiled down at her as he held her in his arms, dismissing her protests by justifying that a princess like her—for she with her golden hair and creamy skin cannot be anything less than a princess—need not touch the ground if at all possible. Then her spirit keys—two golden and three silver—had glinted from the fluorescent lamps above and caught his eye. They clinked merrily between them, and to Loki it seemed as if they were mocking him, telling him that the one female he had truly been interested in was a stellar spirit mage, the kind that he had been avoiding like the plague ever since _her. _So he had backed off, convincing himself that he should–_would—_be content in watching her from the shadows. It didn't work.

* * *

It's not that he didn't try to stay away. Oh, he did. He stayed out later, picked up even more women, in an effort to not give in to his desire to go to her and tell her everything. Loke knew that if she found out about his exile, she would insist on helping him. He didn't want to endanger her just because he was too weak to bear the weight of his sin on his own.

But even as he surrounded himself with laughter and merriment, his loneliness gnawed away at him and the sight of her with Natsu and the others taunted him with what could have been if only he was human and mortal like her. If only he had been anything other than an exiled spirit trapped in the human world, like a fallen star unable to return to his place in the heavens. It was an apt comparison; he was Leo after all, one of the twelve Zodiac spirits after whom the constellations were named. Or was it the other way round? It didn't matter.

When he felt his magic—his _life_—winking out like a tired clock slowly and inexplicably winding down, he had felt relief tinged with regret. Relief because he was tired—so damn tired—of having to pretend that nothing was wrong. Regret because he would probably never see her again. He idly wondered if stellar spirits who disappeared were reborn as something else. If that was the case, maybe they could meet again someday in a different life where he doesn't have to distance himself for fear of dragging her down with him. That would be nice.

He had fully accepted his fate and was ready to fall into oblivion—or wherever he was meant to go if he disappeared—when she came to him and somehow found a way to save him. He would never forget that moment after their audience with the Spirit King when his eyes met hers and he had realized that this was the person he would fall in love with. He didn't know how he knew that. But the heart has reasons that reason cannot understand.

* * *

Looking back on that day in front of Karen's grave, when Lucy had proved to him the depth of her feelings for her spirits, he remembered thinking that if only Karen had seen them—him, Aries, and her other spirits—the way Lucy sees hers, he probably wouldn't have done what he did. Then again, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have met Lucy. In retrospect, his exile wasn't as bad as it could have been. True, he could have disappeared, but Lucy had saved him and their ordeal forged between them a bond that he had never felt with any of his previous masters.

His eyes traced her smiling features as she sat talking animatedly with Levy. Loke's lips curved into a smile. Yes, being banished wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

A/N: "The heart has reasons that reason cannot understand." Is not mine. It's by some Pascal (?) person.


	2. Indefinitely

A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail or Nishikido Ryo's Code from which I borrowed the italicized words at the end.

* * *

"Merry Christmas, princess," He bent over her slumbering form and pressed his lips lightly against her soft cheek. He had come through his gate when he sensed her stirring—he had that kind of bond with her; he'd always thought it's because of love—because he wanted to be the first thing she sees during this special day. He sat at the edge of her bed and gazed fondly at her. Loke wrapped his hand gently around one of hers and cradled it affectionately.

"Mm…Loke?" she mumbled half-asleep. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand and squinted at him. Her hand tightened almost imperceptibly around his as she yawned delicately.

He loved her most like this, when her guard was down and they were just Loke and Lucy, not stellar spirit and master. He savored the moment because he knew that once she was fully awake, she would remember and pull away, leaving him reaching for her.

"What are you doing here?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

Loke let her hand go with regret; he didn't want to spoil today by overstaying his welcome. But he didn't want to go back just yet.

"I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day with me," he replied with a playful wink. He wanted to keep it light between them because he knew that any serious attempt he made to woo her would just end up scaring her away.

"Don't you have some _other_ girl to go out with today? It doesn't have to be me, right?" She waved her hand at him dismissively.

"Lucy, princess, you're the only one I want," He took her hand—it was still as warm as it had been when he was holding it earlier—and gave it a brief, chaste kiss. He looked up at her with a coy smile.

The effect was immediate—her cheeks flushed and she scrambled as far away as she could. The action brought her out of the protective cocoon of blankets she had been sleeping in and exposed her—all of her in a gloriously skimpy nightgown—to his appreciative eyes. He felt his jaw drop at the unexpected development; he thanked every deity that had ever existed for giving him this once-in-lifetime opportunity.

"Lucy—" He started towards her. She was just too cute, her curling up to hide her scantily-clad body from him. He wondered if she was shy because it was him that was looking at her; she didn't seem to mind parading around in a public beach in a bikini before. He adjusted his sunglasses and grinned.

"Don't come any closer!" She thrust her hands in front of her in an attempt to ward him off. He kept coming regardless.

"I won't leave unless you agree to one date with me today," He felt smug satisfaction; her agreeing was almost guaranteed. She wouldn't be able to change out of her night clothes as long as he was present and he was pretty sure she couldn't do a forced closure, not when he was this determined to stay. Loke could almost see the gears turning in her head as her expression cycled from desperation—as she looked around her small room for a private place to hide while she changed and found none—to determination as she realized she could try to force his gate close and finally, to grim acceptance as she looked up at him and saw that there was no winning against him today.

"Okay. But only one. And don't even think about trying anything funny," She glared at him as if daring him to argue. He could have, but he didn't want to push his luck.

"Wouldn't dream of it," His form slowly dissipated as he made his way back to the spirit world, confident that Lucy would keep her promise. Just before he disappeared completely, as he hovered in between the human world and the spirit world, her eyes met his and he was seized with a painful yearning for her. He didn't think she was ready to know yet just how much he felt for her. Loke didn't even know if she would _ever_ be ready. But he would wait.

* * *

_You can tell me that there is no such thing as forever,_

_But I want to shine with you,  
__  
__Even if it's just for a moment._

_

* * *

_

A/N: It's short…Anyway, Merry Christmas, everyone!


	3. Right Here, Right Now

A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail.

This is kind of a continuation of **Indefinitely** so it's supposed to be Christmas Eve ^_^

* * *

The full moon shone down on Lucy's face, a slight breeze gently playing with her blonde hair. She sat casually on a soft woolen blanket as she waited for Loke to return from the spirit world. Lucy sighed contentedly; spending the day with Loke hadn't been as bad as she had first thought. Sure, he had insisted on holding her hand the entire time but it was cold and he was warm so she figured she could let it slide. And now, he had brought her here to this refreshingly simple meadow where all she could see was grass and sky, and promised her that he would make tonight the best Christmas Eve she had ever had. She looked up at the starlit sky and reached up, feeling suddenly nostalgic. She had spent many nights as a young girl gazing up at the constellations and when she thought no one was watching, she would reach up on her tiptoes and try to touch the stars with her fingertips.

A gust of cold, biting wind rushed past her, raising goose bumps on her bare arms and legs. Lucy pulled the lapel of Loke's green jacket draped across her shoulders closer, wishing that he would just hurry up and come back with whatever it was he had gone to the spirit world to get.

As the minutes ticked by and no Loke appeared, doubts began creeping into her mind like the cold seeping up from the damp grass beneath her blanket. What if he had met some female stellar spirit and forgotten all about her? Or worse, what if he had ditched her to go on a date with some other woman?

"Loke wouldn't do that," she whispered, her voice cracking because she remembered that one time when she had needed him to fight with her and he didn't come because he was on a date. It had hurt her more than she let on, that he considered his date more important than her. Lucy pulled her knees up to her chest, lower lip trembling in an effort to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. She should have known better than to think he had changed for her. She lowered her head to her knees, determined to keep her loneliness to herself.

* * *

"Lucy?"

Loke took in the sight before him with more than a little confusion. He slowly took his sunglasses off, hoping for clarity to see what had gone wrong. Lucy looked up at him with watery, accusing eyes and he realized that he had made her cry. He had been gone longer than he had told her he would be so she must have assumed the worst. He ignored the pang in his chest—did she really think so little of him?—and chose instead to wordlessly put down the picnic basket he held, let his glasses drop onto the moist grass so he could wipe her tears away with his callused hands.

"From now on," he began. Lucy answered with a delicate sniff, folding her legs beneath her so that she sat more comfortably. He grinned. Even in tears, she was still the most beautiful woman—human or stellar spirit—that he had ever laid eyes on.

"From now on, no matter what happens, I'll always be by your side so believe a little more in me?" He hadn't intended it as a question, but there it was. The only thing to do now was wait and hope. His fingertips lingered on her still-damp cheeks, silently willing her to understand.

She gave an almost imperceptible nod and a tremulous smile in reply. Loke closed his eyes in relief—her trust in him was more than he deserved for everything he had done that hurt her—and rested his forehead against hers, chuckling lightly. He swore to himself, with the moon and the stars as his witness, that he would take away every little thing that saddens her, even if that included him. He had been born anew, that day in front of Karen's grave, so he could become someone who would protect her and every element that made her Lucy.

Their eyes met, both silent because words could never be enough to express the undeniably electric attraction sizzling between them. Her scent enveloped him—sweet, pure, so utterly Lucy—and he knew right then that he wanted to kiss her.

So he did.

Her eyelids slid closed when his warm lips touched hers with a shy hesitation that she hadn't expected from Loke. When he had asked her to believe in him, she had seen the truth in his eyes. He really _did_ love her. And now she realized that she had been in love with him for a long, long time without knowing it. No, that wasn't quite right. Maybe she _had_ known, had always known but fear—of him and the intensity of the emotions he inspired in her—had clouded her heart and hidden what must have always been there ever since that fateful day when he saved her from rogue mages and set into motion a chain of events that inexplicably led to this, them under the strangely warm light of the full moon.

Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer to her, not minding that the jacket on her shoulders had fallen off. Loke was enough to keep the cold at bay. He seemed more confident now, his lips pressing more firmly—but not too much, never too much. His arms encircled her waist and Lucy shivered, her hands coming up to tangle in his surprisingly soft ginger locks. Without releasing her hold on Loke, she let herself fall back onto the blanket, one of Loke's hands sliding up to cushion her head against the impact as he bore down on her, careful not to crush her with his weight. The same hand then drifted down to gently massage her nape as he continued to kiss her with a fervor that stole Lucy's breath away.

Lucy gripped Loke tighter, soft lips against chapped ones, coming up for breath only when absolutely necessary. Their bodies pressed tightly together, their clothes the only barrier between them. For the moment, this closeness was enough.

She didn't know how long they lay there entwined in each other, their bodies, their very souls melting together until she could no longer tell where she ended and he began. It felt as if the two of them existed outside time, as if they had all eternity to savor each other. But when Loke broke away, it all came rushing back. He was her stellar spirit, she was his master. She was human, he was not. He was forever, and to him, her lifetime was but a blink of an eye. Her suddenly unsure gaze met his and she found herself looking into love so deep she could drown in it if only she would allow herself to. She decided that all that—the complications that would arise if she simply let herself fall—can wait until morning.

"Lucy…" Loke murmured, nibbling at her earlobe affectionately. Her hand slipped down to his shoulder to clutch at it, her breath coming in gasps. He moved lower, trailing languorous open-mouthed kisses down her neck to her collarbone to the valley between her breasts, stopping only at the low neckline of her short black dress where he continued to lavish her body with sensuous movements of his lips and tongue. To compensate for the restriction posed by her clothing, his hand slid along her thigh, the roughness of his palm tantalizing against her smooth, creamy skin. He pushed the hem high enough to make her gasp and color in embarrassment then squeezed her tight flesh teasingly. Lucy jumped then stiffened, startled at the intimacy of his touch.

"Just say the word, Lucy," Loke spoke against her heated skin, his voice thick with desire. He raised his head and looked at her, eyes alight with passion tempered by his unconditional love for her. "Just say it and I'll back off."

Lucy bit her lower lip swollen from his kisses, her uncertainty about them clear in her face. She had been wrong in thinking this could wait 'til morning. Putting off something this crucial, no matter how inviting it sounded now, would just hurt them both in the end.

She knew that he would keep his word and stop if she told him to. But the question was: was that what she wanted? Did she even _know_ what she wanted from him?

"Do we have a future, Loke? When my skin begins to sag and my hair turns gray, would you still feel the same way for me then as you do now?" she asked, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"You will always be my Lucy," he answered, burying his face in her neck. His arms tightened around her slight body. "Nothing will ever change what I feel for you." She felt dampness against her skin and knew, with every fiber of her being, that he spoke the truth. Lucy raised her hand towards the starry heavens, the other lost in Loke's ginger mane. Everything—from the pale glittering of starlight to the soft white beauty of the moon to the deep velvet darkness of the night sky—seemed more vivid, as if she was seeing them, truly seeing them in all their unfathomable glory, for the first time. She smiled, her tears drying in the midnight air.

_I don't need to reach for the stars anymore._

_

* * *

_

A/N: *blushes* This is still rated T, right?

Credits to **Marshie-kun** for the PM that inspired (kinda? maybe?) this piece. It's not like what he/she had in mind but the story kinda moved on its own O_O_  
_


	4. Summer Triangle

A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Yay, new chappie! Haven't updated for a while but better late than never, right? And if this sounds an awful lot like the previous one, **Right Here, Right Now**, it's because this was actually what I had in mind for that before it started...ummm...getting out of control XD

Anyway, this was (for the most part) inspired by supercell's Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari.

* * *

They lay side by side under the dark blanket of the night sky. Lucy was only barely aware of the humidity of the warm night wind, of the slight scratchiness of the cool grass beneath her, of the comfortable feel of his arm against hers. She was content to simply bask in the twinkling starlight and allow the magic of the moment to wash over her. She was glad Loke managed to coerce her into coming. Not that she had resisted all that much though.

* * *

"_Come on, Lucy. It'll be fun, I promise," Loke wheedled._

_She resigned herself to the inevitable. He wasn't going to give up easily and she didn't really feel like arguing with him tonight. Besides, it's not like she had a mission tomorrow anyway. Heaving a long-suffering sigh, she turned to Loke._

"_All right. Fine. You win." The grin on Loke's face pushed her to add "But no funny business or I'm out."_

"_No funny business. Got it," he replied gamely._

_Somehow, she had a feeling that it was going to be a long night._

_

* * *

_

"So, which one's your favorite constellation, Lucy?" Loke's voice brought her out of her reverie. He turned to lie on his side, an arm propping up his head as he stared down at her.

"Canis Minor," she replied, immediately thinking of Plue.

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "How about your second-favorite?"

"Cancer."

"Third?"

"Lyra."

"Fourth?" he tried with a pout. Lucy made a conscious effort not to think about how cute it made him look.

"You're not going to stop until I say Leo, right?" she sighed. The wide grin on his face confirmed her suspicions.

"Fine." She smiled amusedly at the expectant look on his face. He was so predictable sometimes. "I guess Leo's not so bad."

The stricken look on his face had her giggling uncontrollably. With a huff, Loke lay back down on the grass and turned his gaze resolutely up at the stars.

"That was mean, Lucy," he whined childishly.

"I was just—"

"I mean, you totally crushed my self-esteem," he barreled on. "Now I feel like the lowest of the low, like I'm just dirt under the worm squashed under your shoe."

She rolled her eyes. He can be so melodramatic when he wanted to be. But then, she thought with more than a little affection, he wouldn't be Loke otherwise. Flamboyantly cheesy but sweet nonetheless.

"Okay, okay. I was kidding," she said unapologetically.

He immediately turned back to her, all smiles now. He scooted closer.

"So how high do I really rank on your favorites' list, princess?" Their close proximity had her wondering why she wasn't pushing him away like she usually did.

"Square root of one hundred forty-four, divided by six, minus one." She grinned at the focused concentration on his face as he mentally calculated her answer to his question. When his eyes lit up with genuine happiness, she knew he had figured it out.

"I knew it," he said with smug satisfaction.

"Right," she drawled. He so did not know it.

They settled back into comfortable silence. His hand brushed hers, sending delicious shivers up her spine. When their fingers intertwined, she flushed. Lucy prayed fervently that it was too dark for him to see. She snuck a peek at him. His self-satisfied smirk dashed her hopes that he didn't notice her redness.

He would never let her live this down. Neither would Happy or even Bixlow. She shuddered to think what Mira would do if she thought she harbored feelings for Loke. Mirajane as matchmaker was a disaster just waiting to happen.

"Do you know what _my _favorite constellation is?" He sounded distant, a faraway look in his eyes. Lucy paused, confused at the sudden shift in his mood. Was this a trick question?

"It's Leo, isn't it?"

"Nope." His suddenly unreadable gaze bore into her. At that instant, it felt like she was on the brink of an epiphany about him, about them, about herself. But she blinked, and the moment passed. She wondered what would have happened if she hadn't.

Loke raised his hands, letting go of hers in the process. Lucy berated herself for the stab of regret for the loss of his warmth. She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts like this!

"The Summer Triangle," he murmured, peeking with one eye through the rough triangle he had formed with his hands.

"But that's not even a constellation." She was pretty sure it wasn't; there was no silver key for it.

"Details, details." He waved a hand dismissively. Lucy followed his line of sight and picked out Deneb and Vega but couldn't see Altair.

"Have you heard the legend about them?" He looked questioningly at her. She nodded. Of course she had. Knowing the stars was a crucial part of being a stellar spirit mage after all.

"Vega is Orihime, the weaver princess," she stated. "Altair is Hikoboshi, the man who fell in love with her."

"That's right." He nodded. "But they couldn't be together because he was from the sky and she lived on earth."

"That's—" she started, only to find herself stunned speechless by his intent gaze. She had a feeling that he didn't just make a mistake.

"The sky king took pity on them," she took over. "And he allowed them to meet for one day every year."

"But the chasm between earth and the heavens was too wide and they couldn't reach each other." Their faces only inches apart, his warm breath on her lips as he whispered the story of the stars to her. "So she cried and cried until all the other stars, who loved the princess with everything they had, convinced the sky king to help."

He was deviating from the story, she knew. But because she wanted to hear how his version plays out, she decided to keep quiet until the end.

"The sky king was moved by Orihime's tears and so gave her a magical key that would allow her to call Hikoboshi to her side."

Lucy felt herself mirror the wry smile he directed at her. She looked back up at the sky and finally found Altair. How could she have missed it? A sideways glance at Loke and she found the answer. It had always been there; she just didn't know where to look.

She traced a line from Vega to Deneb to Altair, completing the Summer Triangle. There. Orihime wouldn't miss her Hikoboshi anymore.

"Did you know that Deneb roughly means 'tail'?" she said conversationally, only a slight trembling in her voice betraying the overwhelmingly powerful torrent of emotion within her. "It could be the tail of anything though."

"And some say that Deneb was the fairy who watches over Orihime and Hikoboshi," he added, amusement twinkling behind his blue sunglasses.

She pondered on this as she unconsciously moved closer so they were pressed comfortably together. Somehow, the thought that their story will echo throughout the ages in the silently flickering stars of the heavens made her smile. Deneb, Altair, Vega. If Vega and Altair were to drift apart, Deneb would be there to bring them back together. It will always be the three of them, the Summer Triangle shining brightly in the dark sky.

* * *

"Loke?"

"Mm?"

"Why'd you bring me here?"

"To watch the meteor shower with me."

A pause.

"But that's tomorrow night, isn't it?"

* * *

A/N: I tried not to make it too angsty because I want to try writing other genres.

And for those waiting for a **Dust and Shadow** update: I have at least half the chapter already written so hopefully I'll update soon :)

Review, please?


	5. From Me to You

A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail.

So sorry for the late update! I hope this extra-long chapter makes up for it?

**

* * *

**She looked uncomfortable slumped over the desk like that. He took note of her almost inaudible snores, the pen clutched loosely in her hand, the pile of papers her cheek was currently resting against, and concluded that she must have fallen asleep writing her novel.

_Typical Lucy_, he thought with a fond smile, striding purposefully towards his slumbering master. He absently wondered how he had been summoned if she was sleeping. Maybe she was dreaming of him.

_Yeah, right. And Taurus would miraculously stop hitting on Lucy._

He gathered her into his arms, careful not to wake her. Loke took a moment to stare longingly at her slightly parted lips, a second to thank the Spirit King he has hers. Now if only she could be his the way he wanted her to be…

Loke all but tiptoed to her bed, pulled back the covers, and gently laid her down, rearranging her limbs carefully to make her more comfortable. Once he was fairly certain she wouldn't feel stiff when she woke up, he plopped down onto the floor beside his master's bed. He would love to slip into bed with her but he knew that if he gave in, he wouldn't have the willpower to leave before she woke up. Then he'd have to deal with an angry Lucy and although his master was impossibly sexy when she was mad, he loved her best when she was smiling at him.

Nothing was stopping him from staying though. He and Lucy had spent far too little time together and he wasn't about to pass up the chance to be with her. Even if she was asleep right now.

He sat relaxed against the bed, looking around Lucy's room. It was small and cozy. He could understand why Natsu and the others kept hanging around here. It had a very homey, welcoming feel. He wouldn't mind popping in for a visit some other night. Maybe he'd even get lucky and score a goodnight kiss. Unlikely but hey, he could dream, right?

A soft rustling drew Loke's gaze to the sheaf of papers—the top page fluttering in the slight balmy wind from the half-open window—on the desk Lucy had been sleeping on. Lucy's novel. He thought back to a conversation he'd had with Gray a few weeks back.

* * *

"_Hey, Loke."_

_Gray raised a hand in casual greeting. Loke nodded in reply before moving to sit with Gray at the bar. He noted that the ice mage had somehow lost his clothes again. Whatever. It's not like it's anything he hasn't seen before._

"_Lucy's not with you?"_

_His mood darkened at the mention of his master's name. As much as he adored Lucy, he couldn't help but feel furious with her right now._

"_No," he growled. Gray's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "She went on a date with that womanizer from Blue Pegasus."_

"_Hibiki?"_

"_Yeah."_

_Loke fumed silently. If that bastard even tries to touch Lucy, there will be hell to pay. No matter that Lucy would kill him; he'd deal with that after ripping that Blue Pegasus mage to pieces._

"_I wonder…" Gray trailed off. Loke frowned at his tone; Gray's hesitation to continue most likely meant that whatever he was going to say would make him very, very mad. He narrowed his eyes at Gray, wordlessly ordering him to continue._

"_So, you know that Lucy's writing a novel, right?"_

_Loke grunted a yes. Of course he did. Practically the whole guild knew about that._

"_I saw these papers hidden under the mattress when I was at Lucy's. So, naturally, I read what was on it," Gray continued matter-of-factly._

_The stellar spirit snorted. 'Naturally?' A normal person would consider that—and looking other people's mattresses—a breach of the other person's privacy. Then again, this was Gray. He wasn't exactly normal._

"_And?" he prompted. Loke couldn't really see where this was going. "What does Lucy's novel have to do with anything?"_

"_That's the thing. I don't think it was part of Lucy's novel at all. I've read a few rough drafts of that and the story I read was nothing like those at all."_

_That got Loke's attention. Why would Lucy be writing something else instead of working on her novel? That didn't seem like her at all._

"_And whew! What a story that was! I had no idea ice cream could be so hot. And what she did with the garter belt was so…" Gray paused, trying to find the right word. "Risqué," he finished with a suggestive wink._

_Risqué? Lucy writing racy stories? With ice cream and garter belts? Loke couldn't keep the perverted grin off his face. He wondered is she needed to do some 'research' and made a mental note to offer his services later._

_That brought his train of thought back to why he was sulking here—not that he'd ever admit he was sulking, of course—and not enjoying quality time with his beloved master. Because she was on a date with someone other than him. A quick glance at the clock; half-past nine. They were probably enjoying a nice after-dinner stroll right now, he thought with a grimace. He ignored Gray's mumblings about lace and fuzzy pink handcuffs, instead opting to clear his throat to remind Gray to get on with it._

"_Sorry," Gray said unapologetically. "So, anyway, the guy in the story was supposedly tall, lean, with thick spiky hair and a penchant for hitting on anything in a skirt, sound familiar?"_

_Loke's eyes widened in realization. That sounded an awful lot like that Hibiki. He let his head drop onto the bar with a dull thud. It was over. If Lucy was actually using Hibiki as inspiration, it very likely meant that she was interested in him and his chances of winning her have dwindled to practically nothing, on par with a snowball's chance in hell. Loke banged his head against the wooden surface of the bar. _

"_Aw, hell."_

_

* * *

_

Now was probably the only chance he'd get to see for himself what Lucy was writing. With exaggerated stealth, he moved towards the desk, occasionally glancing back to make sure Lucy was still asleep. Loke's hand darted forward, his fingers closing around the loose pages. He winced at the paper's rustling as it wrinkled in his grasp but a last nervous glance in Lucy's direction assured him she hadn't stirred. Good. He quickly resumed his previous position, resting his back against his master's bed.

Now what? He was seized with a sudden apprehension. He wanted to confirm what Gray told him but at the same time he was afraid to find out that he had already lost to Hibiki. He didn't think he'd be able to take that.

"_But they just went on that one date, right?"_ he thought to himself. It's not like they saw each other frequently. Heck, he probably spent more time with Lucy than Hibiki did. That thought lifted his spirits momentarily and had him gloating until a traitorous inner voice reminded him how Lucy never failed to reiterate the fact that he was her spirit and her spirit only. Like he had to be reminded about that.

Loke shook himself out of his negative musings. If he was going to read this, it would be better to get it over with quick. Agonizing over the contents was futile and stupid. Resolutely, he began to read.

* * *

_I look down at the lyrics I had scribbled down and sigh. Lately, all I ever come up with are angsty ballads about star-crossed lovers. Talk about depressing…_

_I put my guitar away and slip quietly into bed. I wonder if he would visit me tonight._

"_Lily," a smooth voice purrs against my ear, hot breath tickling my suddenly hypersensitive skin. I could never understand how he can be so warm when all he is is energy given form. Strong arms pull me closer, molding my body against his._

"_Theo," I sigh before pulling away. Any other night I might have welcomed his advances but not tonight. I sit up and turn my face away. __The bed creaks as he follows suit and rests his weight on his hands against the bed._

"_We have to talk."_

"_About what, princess?"_

Loke raised an eyebrow. Energy given form? Princess? This was all sounding very familiar…

_His fingers tuck a loose strand of blonde hair behind my ear. I resist the urge to melt into his touch. Now isn't the time to get distracted no matter how tempting it is to just enjoy his company. _

"_About us."_

"_Us?" He raises an eyebrow inquisitively. He begins playing with my hair and I forget the long eloquent speech I had prepared hours before. Gently turning my face towards him, he buries his face against the side of my neck. I can't tell if the feather-light touches are his breath or his lips. _

"_U-Um," I manage to stutter before involuntarily letting out a moan as the touches ghost over a sensitive spot just below my ear. I feel his chuckle on my skin. He's playing dirty again to avoid the conversation. Not this time. _

"_Theo!" I try to make my voice sound commanding. It would have been more effective if he hadn't gotten me so breathless. Pulling away for the second time that night, I shoot him a glare that clearly said enough._

_With a childish pout, he runs a hand through his thick ginger locks—_

_

* * *

_

Thick ginger locks? His hands immediately came up to his mane. Yep, very thick. Then he pulled some strands down near eye-level and squinted. Definitely ginger.

He found his lips curling in an amused smile. Theo, huh? Tall, lean, thick spiky hair, and a penchant for hitting on anything in a skirt. Really, was that how Lucy saw him? She should have known that he had eyes only for her. That even if he spent time with other women, it was just a ploy to make her jealous.

He looked down at the story. He'd read enough to put his worries to rest—_he_ was Lucy's inspiration, take that Hibiki!—but he wanted to know what Lily was trying to say.

* * *

_With a childish pout, he runs a hand through his thick ginger locks. He doesn't attempt to charm me into bed me again and I'm grateful for that. It seems he's finally accepted that this conversation has been long overdue._

"_What am I to you?" I toy with the edges of the blanket, unable to look him in the eye. The question seemed so mature and sensible in my mind but now I realize it made me sound like an insecure little girl. Maybe I should have gone for a less-straightforward question…_

"_You're Lily," he answered simply. "My master. The one person I will do anything for."_

_I close my eyes against tears threatening to fall. I should have known he'd say that. _

"_Because I freed you from that bottle," I finish, moving quickly to the edge of my bed._

"_Lily—," he begins, his callused hands grabbing my forearm. I shake him off, still unable to meet his gaze. I'm afraid he'll see how much his answer had hurt me. _

_My feet feel around the floor for my slippers. One under the bed, another just beside it. I slip into them and race towards the bathroom where I lock myself inside. Though he could materialize in here, we had established when we first met that he wasn't allowed in the bathroom when I was inside. _

_I slump beside the sink, surprisingly dry-eyed. The tears have gone, leaving only a numb emptiness behind. His answer echoes in my head over and over, taunting me. He will do anything for me, but that's the nature of our contract. I've been too naïve, to think that he stays because he wants to, to believe in his frequent declarations of his undying love for me. His passionate caresses when we lie together had misled me into thinking he feels for me what I feel for him. But now I see I was wrong. He's with me only because he feels obligated to return the favor I had inadvertently done him when I found the bottle he'd been imprisoned in. He loves me only as a servant loves a master who treats him well. All those nights we spent together, the sweet nothings he whispers into my ear in the warm afterglow of our lovemaking, everything happened because I had been stupid enough to mistake lust for love. _

_

* * *

_

Only a few scribbles and quite a lot of scratched out words followed. Loke put the papers down and sighed. He stood up, his limbs tingling from staying in one position for too long, and carefully perched himself on the edge of the bed. Had she been telling herself that the whole time? Was that why she always rejected him?

"I think Lily was wrong," he said softly. "She should have given Theo a chance to explain."

His knuckles grazed her cheek lovingly, his eyes tracing her serene features.

"You know what? I'm pretty sure Theo loves Lily as much as she does him, maybe even more. Only he knew that even if he had said that, she wouldn't have believed him," he said. "So all he could ever do was show her his feelings through his actions."

He took one last look at her sleeping form before beginning the transition back to the spirit world. Just before he completely disappeared, he bent down and pressed his lips chastely against Lucy's.

"Theo really does love Lily, more than she will ever know."

* * *

His form faded into nothingness, the scattered papers on the floor the only evidence he had been here. Lucy opened her eyes, smiling slightly as she touched her lips. Her plan had worked flawlessly. Now she could stop agonizing over what to do with him.

She got up and gathered the fallen pages, putting them back in their proper place. She sat down at her desk and began to write.

* * *

"Kyaa! Lucy, this is great!" Levy gushed. "You write really well!"

Lucy tried to protest but she was too happy to hear that Levy liked it to make more than a half-hearted effort. She looked around the rowdy guild. Natsu and Gray were fighting again since Erza had gone on a solo S-class mission. Juvia was openly ogling Gray's barely-clad body. Perpetually smiling Mirajane was serving drinks. Cana was drinking from her barrel again. Another typical day at Fairy Tail.

"Hey, Lucy, doesn't Theo kinda remind you of someone?" Levy asked, her eyebrows scrunching up as she thought hard on who exactly it was.

"O-Of course not," Lucy laughed weakly. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying fervently that Levy would somehow not think of Loke.

"Ah, Loke!"

Oh no.

"No, he doesn't!"

"Doesn't what?" her spirit's unmistakable voice breathed into her ear.

Her eyes shot open. He was here. He was really here.

"Nothing," she replied nonchalantly. At least she _tried _to sound nonchalant. Her best effort sounded more like a nervous squeak.

"I was telling her Theo reminded me a lot of somebody but I couldn't put my finger on who it was," Levy chimed in.

Lucy froze. The slowly forming grin on his face and Levy's scrutiny of Loke's hair did not bode well. She had to get Levy away from him _fast._

"Levy, I think I saw Gajeel waving you over," Lucy said in a rush. She stood up, pulled Levy from her chair, and started pushing her in the direction of the iron dragonslayer, ignoring the solid script mage's flustered protests. "Go on. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

Once Levy had gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. Catastrophe averted.

"So this is what Gray was talking about back then."

"Huh?" Gray? What was Loke talking about? She turned around and found her story in Loke's hands. He was reading it with that irritatingly handsome half-amused smirk on his face. He must not be allowed to read until the end. If he does, her plan could potentially go up in flames.

She inched closer, trying not to make sudden movements. His grip loosened at the instant when he was shuffling the page he had finished behind the rest to read the next one. Now was her chance!

Lucy's hand shot forward but her fingers closed over thin air. She looked up at Loke who was quietly chuckling as he held the papers out of her reach. With a frustrated growl, Lucy leapt at him, reaching for her story.

Loke was clearly not expecting her to lunge at him. She crashed into him and they both lost their balance and fell on the wooden floor. Lucy lay sprawled on top of him, the pages of her story fluttering down on them. One landed directly on Loke's face.

The guild was suddenly silent. Lucy didn't have to raise her head from Loke's chest to know that everyone was looking at them and their admittedly compromising position—her straddling him and his arms around her waist from his chivalrous attempt to take the brunt of the impact. She couldn't believe this was happening. She only wanted her story back!

"I knew it!" Happy squeaked. "You are so together!"

"Nice going, Loke!" Gray whistled. Catcalls and cheers reverberated around the guild. Lucy groaned in resignation. She wondered how long it'll take before Happy forgets about this incident and stops commenting on her and Loke. And now it seems even Gray has joined the club…

"Ha! An opening! Eat this, Gray!" Natsu, ever oblivious, threw a punch at the ice mage and just like that, she and Loke were forgotten and the guild resumed its usual chaos.

She turned her gaze to Loke and found him reading the page that had been covering his face. Lucy moved off him and began picking up the fallen papers. She figured no harm could come from letting him read one more page.

"I really do love you, Lily, more than you will ever know," he quoted from the last chapter of the story. Lucy kept her back to him, her cheeks steadily reddening. It seems she spoke too soon. Of all the pages he could have gotten a hold of, it had to be that one. Lady Luck must really hate her today.

"You were awake." His tone wasn't accusing, only surprised.

Lucy, still with her back to him, opted to simply nod in affirmation. No use denying it now. The evidence was just too incriminating. Shuffling sounds behind her told her he was getting up. She felt him lay a hand on her arm.

"Lucy, I—" Loke began.

"Lucy, I found us a job!" Natsu's loud voice called from the request board. They both jumped, Loke cursing quite colorfully under his breath. Lucy felt both relieved and irritated for the interruption. On one hand, she preferred conversations like this be done in private but on the other, the atmosphere between them had been perfect before Natsu ruined it. Guess you can't have everything. She turned to Loke.

"W-Well, I, umm, have to go," she stammered, looking anywhere but Loke. "You should probably go back to the spirit world now."

* * *

He heaved a long-suffering sigh. Why did Natsu have to choose that moment to interrupt them? Couldn't he have waited just a few more minutes?

"All right, I'd better go," he said reluctantly. He prepared to open his gate and return.

"Oh, wait! I almost forgot," Lucy blurted out. "I have something for you." She plunged her hands into her pockets, fumbling for something.

His departure delayed, he moved closer, curious about what his master had for him. And why was she blushing again? Maybe she got him a—

Oh.

Loke's eyes drifted closed as he savored the gentle pressure of her lips on his own and the feel of her arms around his neck. He made to pull her closer and deepen the kiss.

"Lucy, come on!" Natsu called impatiently.

She broke away, smiling shyly up at him. Her mouth against the shell of his ear, she whispered.

"Tonight. In my room. I'll be waiting."

With that, she turned away and ran towards Natsu, Gray, and Happy. Loke watched her go with a grin as he slowly faded back into the spirit world. Tonight, huh? He fingered the pages—most of which detailed the romantic trysts between Theo and Lily—he'd managed to sneak into his pocket behind Lucy's back. He fully planned to fulfill his master's every desire.

"I won't disappoint, princess."

* * *

A/N: Wow, this is the longest chapter I've written ever. It just got longer and longer and before I realized it I had more than 3000 words O_O

On a different note, I am now a member of deviantart under the name chaoticsouljam! Yay! All I uploaded were basically edited colored manga pics though... Although one of the wallpapers I made are a tad...risque XD

Review, please?


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